- O'Sullivan and Carter clashed after last year's Masters final at Alexandra Palace
- The eight-time champion said after his victory that Carter needed to “end his damn life.”
- The comments came after Carter criticized him and the crowd for their support.
Ronnie O'Sullivan branded his explosive expletive-laden rant against Ali Carter “spur of the moment” but admitted he regretted the outburst.
The seven-time world champion claimed a record eighth Masters title last January after defeating Carter 10-7 at Alexandra Palace in a clash that preceded a fierce war of words between the pair.
Carter described the crowd, very much on O'Sullivan's side, as “imbeciles” who “don't have enough brains.”
He also alleged that O'Sullivan was 'sniffling' on the floor. The Rocket, meanwhile, responded fiercely, saying: “He needs to get his damn life together,” O'Sullivan said. I'm not going to keep running around and tiptoeing around someone like that. It's a fucking nightmare.
A year later, the 49-year-old admitted his rant was ill-advised but insisted there is no long-standing feud between the two men.
“It's just a heat of the moment thing,” O'Sullivan said. 'If I feel like I have to say something, I'll say it.
Ronnie O'Sullivan has admitted he regrets his outburst with Ali Carter after last year's Masters final.
The 49-year-old won a record eighth title after defeating his old rival 10-7 at Alexandra Palace.
O'Sullivan responded with the middle finger when he launched his extraordinary rant against Carter.
“It's nothing personal, just spur-of-the-moment things. He has the right to say what he has to say, like me.
'Do I regret saying it? Probably. I wish I had kept my mouth shut and been a little more polished with my answers, a little more diplomatic. But I've said what I've said and it's right.
'They're just words, right? He returns to his life, his family and me. We just have to meet at the table, it's not like we're best friends but it's okay, we're both quite old.'
Interestingly, the 2024 trade wasn't the first time the pair disagreed. In 2013, O'Sullivan started a debate about “burnout” within the sport when he claimed he was “tired and jaded” despite taking a year off from playing snooker.
After Carter lost 13-8 to O'Sullivan in the second round, he took aim at his opponent's excuses after claiming that luck was on his side.
Bad blood also boiled over at the 2018 World Championships 'barge-gate' in Sheffield. O'Sullivan punched Carter in the ribs and snapped: “That's for being Mr. Angry.”
They exchanged words as Carter sealed a shock victory in the round of 16, one of only three in his 26 matches against O'Sullivan at the time.
O'Sullivan and Carter will return to the Masters at Alexandra Palace, which starts on Sunday. The billiards legend is coming off a poor performance in the Championship League, where he retired from the competition after losing four of his five matches.
In his final game, O'Sullivan's series of bizarre antics, including an apparent lewd gesture and banging his cue on the table, overshadowed his 3–2 loss to Robert Milkins.